The Greek Current

In a month we’ll be commemorating the 50th anniversary of Turkey’s invasion of Cyprus. For five decades, Turkish troops have occupied the northern part of the island. With this dark anniversary on the horizon, Michael Rubin, the director of policy analysis at the Middle East Forum and a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, joins Thanos Davelis to look at how Turkey’s continued occupation of the northern part of Cyprus - which has turned the area into a terror safe-haven and money laundering hub - presents a grave and growing threat to U.S. and European security. You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Northern Cyprus Has Become A Terror Safe-HavenParty cadres challenge PASOK’s leaderPASOK MP: ‘We have to see what went wrong’ in EU electionsAnkara plans Aegean research in Turkish watersAnkara widens Greek-Turkish agenda

Following decades of worry, have US policymakers finally overcome their fear of “losing Turkey”, coming to terms with a Turkey that is neither friend nor foe? Nicholas Danforth, an editor at War on the Rocks and the author of The Remaking of Republican Turkey: Memory and Modernity since the Fall of the Ottoman Empire, joins Thanos Davelis to answer this question and break down his latest piece in War on the Rocks, “Coming To Terms With The Loss Of Turkey”. We also explore how this shift impacts the way Washington approaches Ankara and the broader region.You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Coming To Terms With The Loss Of Turkey4,000-year-old Greek hilltop site mystifies archaeologists. It could spell trouble for new airportGreece plans early repayment of €8 billion of bailout loans

The European elections this past weekend saw far right parties gain ground in a number of countries. Greece was not an exception, with the party Greek Solution more than doubling its support since the last elections. Beyond the far right’s gains, the ruling New Democracy did not hit its target, describing the results as a “pyrrhic victory”, while the battle for second place between SYRIZA and PASOK proved inconclusive. Meanwhile, in Cyprus, a 24 year old YouTuber made political waves finishing third. Nektaria Stamouli, the deputy editor in chief of Kathimerini's English Edition and Politico's Eastern Mediterranean correspondent, joins Thanos Davelis with the latest analysis from Athens.You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Where did all the far-right votes come from?Nine new hands and 12 old ones heading to StrasbourgSYRIZA members urge overture to center-left parties following election resultsPM rules out snap election, hints at reshuffleGreece sends aid to raging Cyprus wildfireHouses burnt down in out-of-control Paphos wildfire

Sunday’s European elections saw not only a strengthened far right emerge, but also saw French President Macron call for snap parliamentary elections in response to the victory for the far-right National Rally led by Marine Le Pen. Center-right and far-right parties are now set to take the largest number of seats in the most populous nations. Max Bergmann, the director of the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program and the Stuart Center in Euro-Atlantic and Northern European Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), joins Thanos Davelis with the main takeaways from the European elections while looking at what this means for transatlantic relations.You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:In E.U. Elections, the Center Holds, but the Far Right Still Wreaks HavocMacron bets the house in election to break far-right momentum in FranceND, SYRIZA and PASOK fall short in European Parliament electionGovernment rues ‘Pyrrhic victory’YouTube prankster voted in as Cyprus MEPMEPs: Akel, Disy big losers, victory for Elam and YouTuber

diaNEOsis, which has been monitoring the attitudes and perceptions of Greek society for a decade, just published an all-encompassing three part survey looking at what Greeks believe on a variety of issues - from climate change to politics, trust, and the economy. Fay Makantasi, the director of research at diaNEOsis, joins Thanos Davelis to break down the key findings from this survey and its broader implications, including on the climate, perceptions of the EU, social trust, and more.You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:New anxieties grip Greeks in 2024Greeks do not trust each other, survey showsParties seeking to make their markTurkey moves closer to acquiring F-16 jetsKremlin welcomes Turkey's reported desire to join BRICS

Turkey is set to join the nuclear energy club, with the Akkuyu plant expected to go online at the end of the year. It has plans for two more nuclear energy sites. Given the strong link between nuclear energy programs and the proliferation of nuclear weapons, many are asking whether there is a risk here as well. Eleni Ekmektsioglou, a postdoctoral fellow in Technology and International Security at the University of California’s Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation and an adjunct professor at the George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs, joins Thanos Davelis to look into Turkey’s nuclear energy ambitions and what they mean for regional stability.You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Turkey’s Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant and What it Means for Regional Stability and Nuclear Proliferation Concerns Greece elected to UN Security Council as non-permanent memberMitsotakis inspects Greek frigates in French shipyardMitsotakis in call for defence of freedom and democracy at D-Day commemoration

The fight for the return and reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures is back in the spotlight after a Turkish official said that no "firman" - an Ottoman legal document - exists that legitimizes Lord Elgin’s actions to break up the sculptures and take them to Britain. Greece’s culture minister said the comments strengthen Greece’s argument that the sculptures were illegally removed. Dr. Irene Stamatoudi, a professor of law at the University of Nicosia and a former member of the Ministry of Culture’s Advisory Committee for the Parthenon Sculptures, joins Thanos Davelis to look at how these latest developments impact both the efforts to reunite the Sculptures and the British Museum.You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Greece is buoyed by a Turkish official’s comments about Parthenon sculptures taken by BritainBritish Museum seeks ‘new relationship’ with Greece amid Parthenon sculptures disputeECB to approve Greek banks' request to resume dividend payment after 16 years, sources sayCyprus president says a buffer zone splitting the island won’t become another migrant route

The end of May saw Greek sports teams reach the peak of Europe, with Panathinaikos kicking off the celebrations by winning a seventh EuroLeague basketball title, and Olympiakos following up and becoming the first Greek soccer team to win a European trophy. This high point comes after a year where Greek sports was in the headlines for the wrong reasons, as fan violence was in the spotlight. Alexander Kitroeff, a historian with a deep background in Greek sport, joins Thanos Davelis to discuss these historic wins, and whether they can serve as a springboard for Greek sport to build on. You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Panathinaikos wins its seventh European crownCelebrations in Greece as Olympiakos beats Fiorentina 1-0 for first European titleGreece's Super League must build on 'dream season', says league chiefThe chronology of deadly fan violence in GreeceMany undecided ahead of Euro electionSanctioned tankers pose rising environmental risk in Mediterranean, Greece says

Over 52 years ago Turkey shut down Halki Seminary. Since then, its doors have remained shut. According to a recent report in Karar daily, a Turkish media outlet, Ankara is considering taking steps to reopen the seminary. This isn’t the first time that we’ve heard promises from Turkey that it is going to reopen Halki - including Turkish President Erdogan’s broken promise to President Obama in 2012 - as it continues to keep the seminary’s doors shut. Georgia Logothetis, the Managing Director of the Hellenic American Leadership Council, joins Thanos Davelis to look into Turkey’s trail of broken promises on Halki and discuss her latest piece in The Aegean Monthly - “Halki Seminary held hostage”.You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Halki Seminary held hostageTurkey moves towards reopening Halki seminary, report saysTurkey signals a new military intervention in Syria if Kurdish groups hold local electionsGreece introduces digital helper app for tourists

This week Greece hosted members of the East Med Gas Forum in Athens, where the focus was on existing and future gas projects in the region, the East Med’s importance when addressing concerns over energy security in the broader region, decarbonization, and the green transition. Kostis Geropoulos, the co-founder and director of Energy and Climate Policy and Security at NE Global Media, joins Thanos Davelis to discuss the East Med Gas Forum’s meeting in Greece and look at the initiatives countries in the region are spearheading.You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:East Med Gas Forum in AthensΘ. Σκυλακάκης: «Κλειδί» οι συνεργασίες στην Αν. Μεσόγειο για την ενεργειακή μετάβασηPolls find ND leading SYRIZA by over 15 points ahead of European electionsFar-right parties expected to surpass EPP in European Parliament, polls suggestGreece denies report on migrant resettlement deal with the US